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Online tour of the Auschwitz Memorial for education ministers of all German states
On 16 October, the ministers responsible for education in all German states took part in a special online tour of the Auschwitz Memorial through the platform “Auschwitz in Front of Your Eyes.”
The tour makes it possible to see two parts of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, from anywhere in the world.
The narration of the guide is conducted live. In addition, the educator makes use of multimedia materials, archival photographs, works of art, documents, and the testimonies of Survivors.
The tour was part of the Conference of Ministers of Education (Kultusministerkonferenz – KMK), which took place in Berlin.
“The crimes of National Socialism can never, ever be suppressed or forgotten,” said Simone Oldenburg, Chair of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Minister of Education of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
“The live guided online tour is of great importance in convincingly conveying knowledge about the Holocaust to young people – especially when a personal visit to the site is not possible. The culture of remembrance is the foundation of our democracy – it protects against the falsification of history and the renewed rise of ideologies that despise humanity,” she added.
Education about Auschwitz and the crimes of the Holocaust is a moral responsibility of all nations,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
“It is not only a matter of history, but of responsibility towards future generations. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is a partner for governments and educational institutions worldwide in developing modern tools that help fulfill this duty. The fact that the Ministers of Education from all German federal states jointly visited the Memorial demonstrates how crucial personal engagement of leaders is in Holocaust education. It is an example that should inspire other countries to take similar actions – ensuring that memory and education remain a living part of their educational policies,” he added.
The Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) is an association of ministers and senators responsible for schooling, universities, science, and culture in Germany’s 16 federal states. Its main tasks include the coordination of education policies, enabling the Länder to make joint decisions and agreements on matters of education, higher education, and culture of supra-regional significance.
The special online platform „Auschwitz In Front Of Your Eyes” was created through the cooperation of the Museum, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and the companies AppsFlyer and DISKIN.
The online guided tour is available for groups from schools, universities, educational institutions, museums, or companies. A group may participate together (using one screen in a larger room) or individually (each participant using their own device). Tours can be booked on the website visit.auschwitz.org.
All institutions wishing to book online tours for larger numbers of groups at different times are asked to contact the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation directly at:
